Introduction

What is PRISA?

Planning and Reporting for Improving Student Achievement (PRISA) is a planning and monitoring tool used by schools and district school boards (DSBs) for reporting on a variety of programs and initiatives, including how funds are used to support student learning and professional learning in mathematics.

The Math reports are submitted twice a year for DSBs and three times a year for schools.

Findings from the Field is a high-level summary of school and DSB final PRISA reporting in mathematics for the 2017-18 school year.

What data was collected on mathematics?

255 English-language schools, and one school from across the 12 French-language DSBs, completed a school-level final report.

What data was collected from district school boards?

Schools identified as “intensive” received additional support under the provincial math strategy. Using the PRISA reporting tool, DSBs were asked to report on the implementation and outcome of the support they provided to these schools across the four goals of the provincial math strategy below:

Increase leader use of knowledge of effective pedagogy to provide the necessary supports and conditions for school and system improvement

Increase parent engagement with their children’s mathematics learning

Specifically, DSBs described their schools’ successes, challenges, and monitoring of the provincial math strategy goals. DSBs also described how they differentiated support for schools and for diverse learners within their school board. Lastly, DSBs described the next steps they would take as a result of their learning.

What data was collected from schools?

Schools receiving intensive support in mathematics were asked to identify and report on one or more student mathematics learning needs.

For each learning need, schools were then asked to identify a corresponding educator learning need, as well as the educator actions and responsibilities required to impact the identified student learning need.

Schools were also asked to describe how they will monitor the impact of educator actions on student learning need, as well as how they will monitor any change in educator learning need. Schools reported on release time and leveraging other resources, to impact student and educator learning need(s).

Principals then signed off, noting any reflections on the report’s content.

How was the data analysed?

The data was coded and analysed by ministry staff.

The data analysis focused on understanding four key areas:

How do schools identify learning needs and the impact of their actions?

What strategies, activities or approaches are being used to support the learning of mathematics?

What resources are being put in place to support mathematics?

What are some of the successes and challenges associated with mathematics teaching and learning?